Spreader mandrel for automatic produce-bagging machine that uses factory-roll polyethylene net tubing

ABSTRACT

In the design and development of an automatic produce bagging machine which would use factory-roll polyethylene net tubing for the bagging material, it was necessary to design and incorporate into the automatic machine a device which would be capable of spreading the polyethylene net tubing in order to fabricate a net bag. This spreading device is herein described. It is basically a vertical cylindrical shape with a Teflon downend tip. It is spring loaded and therefore capable of an expanded and contracted position.

United States Patent n91 Bowman et al.

Sept. 9, 1975 SPREADER MANDREL FOR AUTOMATIC PRODUCE-BAGGING MACHINE THAT USES FACTORY-ROLL POLYETHYLENE NET TUBING Inventors: Earl K. Bowman; John C. Teele,

both of Gainesville, Fla.

Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of Agriculture, Washington, DC.

Filed: June 28, 1974 Appl. No.: 484,199

U.S. Cl 53/393; 53/384 Int. Cl. B6513 65/00 Field of Search 53/393, 384; 93/22, 23,

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 8/!958 Wang 53/384 X II g ill l A Hill v, MM

' WW l QM 41 MA 3,287,881 1l/l966 Jelling et al 53/384 X Primary Examiner-Travis S. McGehee Attorney, Agent, or FirmM. Howard Silverstein; Max D. Hensley [57] ABSTRACT In the design and development of an automatic produce bagging machine which would use factory-roll polyethylene net tubing for the bagging material, it was necessary to design and incorporate into the automatic machine a device which would be capable of spreading the polyethylene net tubing in order to fabricate a net bag. This spreading device is herein described. It is basically a vertical cylindrical shape with a Teflon downend tip. It is spring loaded and therefore capable of an expanded and contracted position.

5 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTED SEP 91975 SHEET 1 BF 4 FIG/l PATENTEDSEP 3 903 678 snmaq g DETAIL B 49 SPREADER MANDREL FOR AUTOMATIC PRODUCE-BAGGING MACHINE THAT USES FACTORY-ROLL POLYETHYLENE NET TUBING PRIOR ART AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Oranges and grapefruit have been packaged in bags at the shipping point for more than three decades in Florida. For about 20 years it was all done manually. Only fabric mesh bags were used before polyethylene film bags, which first appeared in Florida statistics for the 1958-1959 season. Polyethylene net bags first appeared in Florida statistics for the 1966-1967 season.

In Florida most citrus bagging in polyethylene film bags is done by semiautomatic machinery; limited automatic machines are in use. In all semiautomatic bagging operations, purchased (premanufactured) bags are used entirely. The semiautomatic equipment used by the larger portion of the packinghouses counts the desired quantity of fruit into the bag upon actuation of a foot pedal or other control by the operator. The opera tor holds the bag in position to catch the fruit, then closes it by a tape or stapling device, and places it in a master carton. Similar semiautomatic equipment is used elsewhere for packaging such produce as apples, onions, and potatoes in polyethylene film bags. Generally, this equipment measures quantity by weight instead of count. Machine action or the operator pours the measured quantity from a pan or accumulating chamber into the bag after the machine feed has stopped at a preset weight. Bag closing practices are similar to those employed on semiautomatic citrus bagging operations. semiautomatic machines suitable for polyethylene film bags are also generally usable for bagging fruit in polyethylene net bags.

. Automatic polyethylene film bagging machines have been installed in several Florida packinghouses over approximately the past three years. Premade bags are used by all of them except for one make that uses specially prepared film, doubled, in a ribbon with perforations in heat-sealed strips between bags. The bagging machine heat-seals the top after filling except where twist-tie or Kwik-lok closing has been substituted. Bags separate along perforation lines in passing out of the machine onto the takeaway conveyor. Manual checking of bag weight is required in operating one make of these machines, a carrousel type.

No fully automatic machines are available for handling polyethylene net bags except one type, recently offered in the Florida citrus area, with an attachment for automatically handling net bags supplied on wickets. Thus far, the tooling of bagmakers has not provided for supplying polyethylene net bags in this way. Even if manufacturers were to supply these bags on wickets, the price of the bags might be higher than that for net bags supplied in the usual manner.

Manufactured polyethylene net bags cost about twice as much as film bags. Economic advantages would ac crue to customers and packers alike by having bag forming incorporated into an automatic cycle of bag filling and closing, as in the experimental machine.

Testing of the machine was confined to packing 5- pound bags of oranges because of their lead in shipments of Florida citrus fruit in polyethylene net bags. The machine is adaptable, however, to other bag sizes, produce, and applications.

OBJECTIVES It is one object of the invention to eliminate the need for preformed bags in the produce packaging industry. It is another object of this invention to enable previous equipment to operate totally automatically. It is another object to form the bag during the automatic packaging cycle. It is another object to eliminate the need for manual labor. It is another object to cut the cost of packaging of citrus fruit or other produce. It is another object to use this spreading mandrel to spread and separate the polyethylene net tubing during the bag forming operation. It is yet another object to use the spreading device to position the polyethylene net tubing to allow for entry of the opening and and gripping mechanisms during the bag forming operations.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION FIG. 1 is an exploded isometric view showing the lower portion of the bagging machine and essentially details the bottom gripping, spreading, closing and cut ting devices.

FIG. 2 (Detail A) is an isometric view of a spreader mandrel.

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of the spreading mandrel and the tripping mechanism with the polyethylene net tubing superimposed over the exterior.

FIG. 4 is an illustrative moss-sectional drawing of the spreading mandral in the down or collapsed position.

FIG. 5 (Detail B) (See FIGS. 3 and 4) is a detail of the internal workings with respect to FIGS. 3 and 4.

Reference is made to illustrative drawing FIGS. 1 through 5 and Details A and B. The spreading mandrel operates in conjunction with an automatic produce bagging machine that uses factory-roll polyetylene net tubing. The spreading mandrel can be seen in relation to the overall bagging machine as shown in FIG. 1, Detail A.

Solenoid 14, FIG. 2, connected to tripper 7, FIG. 4, which pivots on screw 46, FIG. 2, and is mounted on frame 42, FIG. 2, attached to plate 40, FIG. 4, by rod 41, FIG. 2, actuates tripper 7, FIG. 4, which comes into contact with locking pin arm 54, FIG. 4, pulling locking pin 53, FIG. 4, up and out of locking groove 59, FIG. 6, thereby releasing the top of the spreader mandral 50, FIG. 4, to be forced upward by spring 51, FIG. 6, thus resulting in expanded position as shown in FIG. 4. Simultaneously, locking pin spring return 57, FIG. 4, forces locking pin 53, FIG. 4, back into ready position. The expanded position is fixed by the top mandral locking shoulders 60, FIG. 4, contacting with locking screws 52, FIG. 4. This position is necessary to receive the gripping mechanism of the automatic bagging machine.

Simultaneoulsy, trippers 7, FIG. 2, are returned to resting position by return spring 44, FIG. 2, which is attached to return spring anchor mount 45, FIG. 2, which is attached to solenoid 14, FIG. 2.

A cam timer on the automatic bagging machine signals a gripping mechanism which is part of the bagging machine bringing the gripping mechanism into contact with the top of the spreader mandrel 50, FIG. 3, forcing the top of spreader mandrel 50, FIG. 6, downward. As top spreader mandrel 50, FIG. 4, is forced downward, the bevel on the top internal pop-up section 61, FIG. 4, contacts locking pin 53, FIG. 4, shoves it outward, and allows pin 53, FIG. 4, to insert into groove 50, FIG.

4, thereby repositioning and resetting spreader mandrel 6, as shown in FIG. 3, which is the initial starting position. The polyethylene netting material can then slide between the exterior surface of spreader mandrel 6, FIG. 2, and stationary guide ring 5, FIG. 2.

We claim:

1. A spreader mandrel comprising:

a. a sectional vertical cylinder the bottom section of which telescopes into the top section to allow up and down movement, the bottom section comprising:

1. an outer casing with a hollow center and attached to 2. a lower end tip section with all sharp edges rounded or beveled and a 3. fastening screw b. a locking and/or releasing device comprising:

1. a locking pin affixed to 2. a locking pin arm mounted on a 3. pivoting pin 4. a locking arm return means and 5. a locking retainer means 0. a top section comprising:

1. an outer casing with a hollow center except for a central member designed substantially in the configuration of a stem, and located on the center-point of the top inner surface of said top section and extending in a downward direction into the center of said hollow center to function in communication with the locking and/or retaining devices, the bottom end of said central member being beveled to impart laterial motion to the locking pin, and the bottom edge having a groove thus allowing lateral motion for the locking pin to function in a locked position by horizontal entry into said groove;

d. a supporting mechanism comprising:

2. The apparatus described in claim 1 wherein the lower end tip section of the bottom section of the vertical cylinder is Teflon coated, or covered, or made of Teflon.

3. The apparatus described in claim 1 wherein the locking arm return means is a spring.

4. The apparatus described in claim 1 wherein the locking retainer means is a locking pin retainer screw.

5. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the pivoting means on which the frame of the supporting mechanism pivots is a pivot screw. 

1. A spreader mandrel comprising: a. a sectional vertical cylinder the bottom section of which telescopes into the top section to allow up and down movement, the bottom section comprising:
 1. an outer casing with a hollow center and attached to
 2. a lower end tip section with all sharp edges rounded or beveled and a
 3. fastening screw b. a locking and/or releasing device comprising:
 1. a locking pin affixed to
 2. a locking pin arm mounted on a
 3. pivoting pin
 4. a locking arm return means and
 5. a locking retainer means c. a top section comprising:
 1. an outer casing with a hollow center except for a central member designed substantially in the configuration of a stem, and located on the center-point of the top inner surface of said top section and extending in a downward direction into the center of said hollow center to function in communication with the locking and/or retaining devices, the bottom end of said central member being beveled to impart laterial motion to the locking pin, and the bottom edge having a groove thus allowing lateral motion for the locking pin to function in a locked position by horizontal entry into said groove; d. a supporting mechanism comprising:
 1. a base plate affixed to
 2. a vertical frame designed in two sections with a pivoting means to allow said frame to pivot at the base of the frame sections and the base plate and attached to
 3. a stationary guide ring and seat circumambient with respect to the vertical cylinder and attached to a tripper ring and
 4. an actuating device for moving said ring on said pivot comprising: a. a solenoid which communicates with b. a tripper ring communicating with a c. tripper arm which is attached to d. a return spring.
 2. a lower end tip section with all sharp edges rounded or beveled and a
 2. a locking pin arm mounted on a
 2. The apparatus described in claim 1 wherein the lower end tip section of the bottom section of the vertical cylinder is Teflon coated, or covered, or made of Teflon.
 2. a vertical frame designed in two sections with a pivoting means to allow said frame to pivot at the base of the frame sections and the base plate and attached to
 3. The apparatus described in claim 1 wherein the locking arm return means is a spring.
 3. a stationary guide ring and seat circumambient with respect to the vertical cylinder and attached to a tripper ring and
 3. fastening screw b. a locking and/or releasing device comprising:
 3. pivoting pin
 4. a locking arm return means and
 4. an actuating device for moving said ring on said pivot comprising: a. a solenoid which communicates with b. a tripper ring communicating with a c. tripper arm which is attached to d. a return spring.
 4. The apparatus described in claim 1 wherein the locking retainer means is a locking pin retainer screw.
 5. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the pivoting means on which the frame of the supporting mechanism pivots is a pivot screw.
 5. a locking retainer means c. a top section comprising: 